It’s been a bit since we’ve posted a Master’s Showcase (or past posts have included looks at Leo Lionni, the Provensens and Mary Blair) but with Spring just around the corner, we were reminded of the great Barbara Cooney, who brought us Miss Rumphius. If you haven’t read the story about a woman who spreads flower seeds across the land in order to make the Earth more beautiful, do yourself a favor and high-tail it to the children’s section at your library.

Barbara Cooney (1917-2000) was an American Caldecott medal-winning illustrator, who wrote and/or created the artwork for countless classic children’s books, such as Ox-Cart Man, The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story, Little Women, Eleanor and Chanticleer and the Fox. Some of her work (particularly that from Ox-Cart Man and Louhi, The Witch of the North Farm), is sometimes reminiscent of beautiful scenes or landscapes from the middle ages, with similar color and detail. We even spy a style reminiscent of our own Red Cap artists, Becca Stadtlander and Anna Emilia Laitinen. Have fun mulling through some of our favorite photos below, and do some digging on your own as well to see more of a master at work!